


My Soul is at My Side

by Canarianyellow



Series: The One Where Will Has a Twin [2]
Category: Hannibal (TV), His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Genre: AU of an AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Alternate Universe - Twins, Birds, Character Study, Daemons, Gen, Hannibal Lecter is a Cannibal, Hannibal Lecter is the Chesapeake Ripper, Implied Cannibalism, Implied Murder, M/M, Murder, Pre-Slash, Pre-Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Science, Symbolism, Twins, Will Graham Knows, Will has a twin sister, but it's there ya know?, i guess, nothing graphic, okay he kind of knows, ornithology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-30 12:03:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20096950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canarianyellow/pseuds/Canarianyellow
Summary: “IdentityBegins and endsWith the soul-We cannot be ourselvesWithout baring it to the world.”Even in a world where everyone's soul walks beside them in the form of daemons, Will still can't be normal.





	My Soul is at My Side

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!! So, I kinda wrote this instead of finishing chapter six of My Desires sdkjfkhg-  
I just really wanted to write an AU for my AU, you know??? It's good for the heart.  
Also, it's not really necessary, but this will probably make more sense if you read my other fic first- 
> 
> This is also kind of a small character study for Will- I see a lot of fics about what Will's daemon would be, and wanted to add my thoughts into the fray. Might write more for this, might not. 
> 
> This was also a bit of practice for writing Hannibal; I'm not as confident writing him as I am with Will.

_ “Identity _

_ Begins and ends _

_ With the soul- _

_ We cannot be ourselves _

_ Without baring it to the world.”  _

_ _ \- Identity of the Soul  _ _

* * *

Since they were very little, Skylar and Will had always had a habit of feeding off of each other- Will more so than his twin sister. If Skylar cried, so would Will. And if Will was happy, then so was Skylar. When one had a nightmare, they’d crawl into the other’s bed. Rarely were the two apart. They would have silent conversations between each other, as if they have a language all their own. Will would smile, and Skylar would mirror it as they laughed quietly at their own personal jokes. It was the perk of having a person born to be your best friend. They were connected at the hip since birth. 

It should have been a no-brainer that their daemons would share their closeness. Kęstutis and Leto were just as tight-knit as their human counterparts, each constantly shifting and changing shape to copy and mirror the other. If Kęstutis was a cat, then so was Leto. If Leto decided to be a mouse, then so would  Kęstutis. It wasn’t uncommon for people to be confused with who’s daemon was who’s- the two were constantly together, and more often than not in the same form. 

It unnerved some when they saw the casual closeness between them- they could see the way people would flinch when Skylar pet Kęstutis as if he were hers, or when Will swatted Leto off his shoulder in mild annoyance. “I know they’re twins,” people would say, “but it’s still disturbing.” They’d long grown used to what people would say about their ability to touch each other’s daemons. It had always been like that, though. Neither could remember a time where they  _ couldn’t.  _

Skylar would just give everyone the most innocent smile she could muster and ask what was wrong. No one ever had the heart to say why they were uncomfortable with it, but it didn’t stop Will from seeing it in their eyes. It was taboo to them, even if they were twins. You didn’t touch other people’s daemon’s- it was just the way things were. 

“It’ll be better when they settle-” They started saying, as if being children was the only reason they ignored the taboo- as if their closeness would lessen as they grew. Skylar always frowned at those comments, and Will could hear Leto hissing “rude” under her breath. The two were always in sync; Leto and Skylar, two wonderfully stubborn and sly creatures. Maybe Will should have been less surprised that his twin’s daemon had a preference for only shifting into predators. He wasn’t, though. Kęstutis was the exact same. 

Leto was leucistic. Her colouration was never as vibrant as it should. She was always paler, sometimes even white, compared to other daemons. Her patterns were muted and faded. When comparing her to Kęstutis, the difference stood out even more. Where Leto was leucistic, Kęstutis was melanistic. He was always dark, nearly pitch black to most. Patterns were lost amongst dark fur and feathers, black eyes like onyx jewels. It should have made things all the more easy to distinguish who's daemon was who's, but most still forgot. Was Skylar the one with the beautiful black wolf? No no, that one is Will's. Skylar has the little pale fox. Always predators- a wolf and a fox, a hawk and a falcon. 

Skylar’s settled first- it wasn’t a big surprise to anyone. Their father was nothing but supportive and excited, exclaiming that his kids were “growing up so fast.'' He should have seen it coming, honestly. Leto had begun sticking to birds of prey, only shifting every so often between eagle, owl, or hawk. And Skylar had began reading anatomy books about birds, saying she was thinking of being an ornithologist. For all intents and purposes, all of the clues were there for Will to realize what was happening. 

She was considered an early bloomer- she was fifteen when she looked at will with wide eyes and grinned. "She's a Barn Owl." She said softly. It was the night of her first hunt- the first time she'd killed another man. He'd been too tired to realize it when the two had come home. Now, though, as they sat at the breakfast table, it was clear as day to him that the daemon had settled. The brown of her plumage just barely visible amongst a sea of white. She almost looked like a male. 

She cooed as she flew around the kitchen, showing off as their dad patted Skylar on the back and  Kęstutis shifted into a crow, joining her as she fluttered about proudly. Both birds eventually perched themselves onto Will's shoulders- he was sure it was intentional. It was as close as Leto and Skylar would get to saying that nothing would change, even if they were settled. He couldn't help smiling at the pale owl, reaching up to gently pet her chest with his finger.

* * *

Kęstutis took, to many people, far too long to settle. The daemon had yet to settle by college, continuing to shift between a handful of creatures. It made people painfully uncomfortable- both human and daemon could see it clear as day on their faces. "He's just a late bloomer" they tried to rationalize. People either gave him concerned or pitying looks, as if something was fundamentally wrong with him. He wondered if there  _ was  _ something wrong. 

Dante said there wasn't, though. From the very beginning, his roommate hadn’t batted an eye at his daemon shifting from a fox into a crow. He just grinned and patted Will on the back. "Sometimes it just takes a while, even if a while ends up being your whole life." It might have been the smartest thing he'd ever said. 

The man's coyote daemon had no problems interacting with Kęstutis either. She was just . open and easy to read as her human, constantly trying to get Kęstutis to play with her. Kęstutis just looked at Will helplessly, as if asking  _ what should I do? _ Neither had ever gotten along well with others aside from Leto and their dad’s daemon Roman. Most ignored them or treated them like glass. Not Dante, though. The extrovert had made it his mission to be Will’s friend. And Will welcomed the company, despite his original griping about him being too loud. It was a breath of fresh air, having someone so open and honest. There was nothing Will could read from his expressions that Dante wouldn’t just outright say. 

Maybe that was what finally let Kęstutis settle- that sense of closeness with someone that wasn’t his family. Someone that had no problems being his friend. It let his mind relax, let it  _ settle.  _ He was in college, nearly twenty now, and everything just seemed to  _ click.  _ He wasn’t sure what the feeling was exactly, but it was almost as if part of him just suddenly filled with this feeling of  _ rightness.  _

And there Kęstutis was, perched on the edge of his bed as a large, beautifully black eagle. He wasn’t sure what kind, but he knew he could as Skylar that later. Now, though, he was swept up in the feeling of Kęstutis proudly showing off his wings as he spread them apart, letting out a loud  _ caw _ . He laughed wetly- he was practically crying now as he moved forward to embrace his daemon in his arms. He trilled softly, letting himself be scooped up into his human’s arms. Will could barely hold him- he was far too large. 

They stayed embraced, Will curled completely around Kęstutis on the bed, until Dante and Atsuko came in. He had immediately grinned upon seeing them, knowing immediately what had happened. He laughed and smacked Will on the back in congratulations as his daemon sniffed at Kęstutis, tail wagging wildly. Sometimes he wondered if Atsuko was more of a dog than a coyote… 

Skylar practically screamed into the phone when he told her, gushing about how he  _ had  _ to send her pictures and swearing that she’d visit soon to see his newly settled daemon. "I knew you'd have a bird too," she said smugly. Will just rolled his eyes. 

"I think he's a black eagle." He said, running his fingers against Kęstutis' feathers. "Hard to tell, though. And he won’t tell me” 

When she came to visit, she giggled at the realization of what Kęstutis  _ really _ was. Even Leto laughed, squawking when the other daemon took offense and pounced at her. The two play fought as Skylar grinned at her brother, “He’s not a black eagle, he’s a  _ bald  _ eagle.” She explained through another fit of giggles. “You have a bald eagle for your daemon!” 

He stared at her for a moment before turning and glaring at his daemon, flushing slightly. Skylar just giggled and wrapped an arm around her brother. “Come on Will, it totally suits you!” 

He harrumphed, but didn't say anything else as they watched their daemons play together, the larger eagle nipping at the smaller owl. Their feathers were all ruffled and disheveled and Will could  _ maybe  _ see the resemblance. Skylar definitely looked like Leto, at least. It was the perfect match for her, and most only assumed it alluded to her intelligence, forgetting that the owl is a skilled and silent killer. Yes, it suited her very well. 

"You know…" Skylar started, a grin spreading across her face. "Bald eagles  _ are _ a species of  _ fishing eagle."  _

This time, Will couldn't help his own smile from emerging. Of  _ course  _ Kęstutis was a  _ fishing  _ eagle. 

* * *

Will had always been acutely aware of other’s daemons- he didn’t know if it was related to his empathy or not, but it was always the first thing his eyes were drawn to. The shape someone’s soul took, their inner self, spoke volumes about a person. Of course there were stereotypes about certain daemons, but most were from shallow interpretations of the animals. It was why people looked at his own with a strange trust- they trusted a man with a bald eagle daemon, but they were cautious because he was melanistic; some thought it was a sign of an unstable soul. 

People had no hesitation with Skylar, though, with her beautiful barn owl daemon. They represented intelligence, afterall. Her beautiful white and pale brown feathers hide talons, however, and most seemed to forget that. Leto was a killer just as much as Skylar. Daemons were really a mystery to humans in this sense- no one ever truly understood what they represented for their human counterparts. Every one of them was unique and complex. 

When he met Hannibal Lecter, the man’s daemon nearly took his breath away. In the little office with Jack and himself, his eyes were immediately drawn to the large, beautiful cat lying calmly at the doctor’s feet. Orange and browns mixed with more creamy colours to make a gorgeous pattern on her pelt. Her round face and ears lent themselves to make her seem inviting, as if she was simply a gentle creature. He’d never seen a cat quite like her before, though, and he only knew one thing for sure. 

She may look beautifully gentle, but she was still a  _ predator.  _ And he couldn’t think of anything else that could match Doctor Hannibal Lecter so inexplicably well. 

“She is an Asian Golden Cat,” He explained later, during one of their ‘conversations’. He had a small smile on his face as he gently petted his daemon, fingers running through her thick fur. “Part of the genus  _ Catopuma,  _ which has only two species currently in it.” If Will didn’t know any better, he would say he was showing off. 

Kęstutis seemed unimpressed with the cat, perching himself standoffish on the back of Will’s chair. Even when the man had appeared with breakfast, the eagle kept his distance. The golden cat watched him intently as their humans ate, and Will bit back the urge to ask just what kind of meat was in the sausage. He called it delicious, though, and Hannibal nearly smiled at that. 

“- God forbid we become friendly.” He said as they ate, watching the other man intently. 

“We don’t find you that interesting.” Kęstutis said, feathers slightly ruffled as he stared at the two humans. Hannibal looked back at the eagle- it was the first time he’d said anything in front of him. The black bird rarely spoke, even to Will. It was so out of character for the daemon that even Will felt off-put by his words. They were true, though- Will didn't find him particularly interesting. There was a short pause, no one saying a word. 

“You will.” Hannibal’s daemon- Mio- said at last, staring at Kęstutis with a  _ hungry _ gaze that so reminded him of Skylar when she’d looked Will in the eyes and told him she wanted to kill someone. It felt almost like a warning, but Will had never been one to shy from the dark and dangerous. 

He didn't know  _ what  _ exactly Hannibal Lecter was, but he knew he wanted to be there to find out.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick summary of some character's daemons:  
Will's- a Melanistic Bald Eagle named Kęstutis. It's origins are Lithuanian, meaning "to cope, to endure" and the name of a 14th century Lithuanian ruler. And then when researching, I found an excerpt that said "The eagle is symbolic of the importance of honesty and truthful principles." which just struck me as very fitting for Will. Also, I knew right away I wanted Will's daemon to be a fishing eagle, and Bald Eagles being one of the only fish eagles in North America just sold it for me. 
> 
> Skylar's- a Leucistic barn owl named Leto. It originates in ancient Greece, coming from the word "letho" to mean "hidden, forgotten". I knew I wanted hers to be an owl from the beginning, and I ended up choosing a barn owl due to how famously silent and skilled they are with hunting, along with having some of the best hearing in the entire world. It just really suited Skylar in my opinion. 
> 
> Will's Father- a grey wolf named Roman. I picked this for one really important reason- wolves are famous for being very pack and family-oriented, but are also known to die from grief and losing their mates. This was one of the easiest choices in my entire life. 
> 
> Dante's- a coyote named Atsuko. Originates in Japanese, using the kanjis for "honest" (atsu) and "child" (ko). Coyotes often symbolize playfulness and having a paradoxical nature/a personality that is difficult to categorize. Coyotes are also said to teach us to laugh at ourselves and not to take things as seriously. 
> 
> Hannibal's- an Asian Golden Cat named Mio. Japanese in origins, combines the kanjis for "beautiful" (mi) and "thread" (o). And I actually had help from people over on my instagram about his daemon! I was tossing it up between a golden cat or a bay cat, both of which are the only species in the Catopuma genus. The poll decided on the Golden Cat, though, and I'm happy with that. It's a unique daemon, while still being a predator and that elegance that Hannibal just gives off constantly. Seriously, look up an asian golden cat. They're fucking gorgeous. 
> 
> I also almost made Hannibal's daemon a chicken, but that's a story for my instagram! If you'd like to read more about my thoughts regarding everyone's daemons, or would like input into future chapters and stories, follow me @canarianyellow !!! I have everything from updates and sneak peaks, to polls and Q&A's about what you would like to see~ 
> 
> Thank you for reading~


End file.
